Thank You,
Knight Teir: "Jacob", "Ralfs Abele", "Lucas Varnas", and "Joel Vincent"
For Becoming A Member On My Pa'treon. The Emperor Protect.
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The Hulk slammed Loki into the ground as if he were nothing more than a helpless chicken. This brutal display instantly sent countless citizens into a frenzy. The fear of the Chitauri had lingered over them like a shadow, but in that single moment, it was torn apart.
As the instigator of so much chaos, Loki was not at all what everyone had imagined him to be. Against the Avengers, he was no unstoppable opponent, merely a pawn being toyed with. The Hulk could toss him around with ease, and even Tony's Arc Reactor-driven suit proved just as effective.
Meanwhile, Barton finally broke free from his mind control, restored through the desperate efforts of his widowed sister. That small victory gave the people renewed confidence.
The dread of the unknown, once paralyzing, was crumbling before the harsh reality of resistance. And when fear shatters, it doesn't simply vanish. It transforms, burning into determination, into fury, into the will to fight back.
Across the Terra Federation, from scrolling barrages on live streams to posts on public platforms, the sentiment was the same. If Terra itself were ever invaded, many citizens swore they would voluntarily enlist in the counterattack.
At this moment, the broadcasted images flickered, showing the device pulsing wildly with the unstable energy of the cube.
[ Eric staggered awake after being struck, his gaze lifting to the Chitauri leviathans shrieking across the skies. Black Widow stumbled toward the activation device, desperate to find a way to halt its power. ]
[ Eric's voice trembled from behind her: "The scepter, the scepter!" ]
[ Black Widow spun back: "Doctor, what scepter?" ]
[ Dr. Eric, weak but lucid, pointed downward. "Loki's scepter. It carries the same energy. The Cube may be vast, but it cannot resist its own power turned against it." ]
[ Black Widow steadied him with a reassuring tone: "It's not your fault. You didn't know what you were doing back then." ]
[ He grimaced. "Actually… I did. I built a failsafe, a device to cut off its energy source." ]
[ Black Widow's brow furrowed. "You mean Loki's scepter?" ]
[ Eric nodded faintly. "It will close the passage." ]
[ The camera shifted to the ground below where Loki's scepter lay quietly, almost tauntingly close. Eric whispered: "It's right under my nose…" ]
The audience erupted.
"Perfect! I didn't expect Eric to come through like this!"
"Hah, shows why pros should handle professional things!"
"So Loki's scepter is another cosmic cube?"
"Wait, does that mean there are two of them?"
"Both appearing in the Terra Earth era? That can't be a coincidence. It's monumental."
"The paradox of the spear and the shield… using a cube to counter a cube. Incredible."
"Thankfully, Black Widow rushed over; otherwise, none of this would've been discovered in time!"
"Finally! A breakthrough. No more nuclear bombs!"
"Yes! Close the passage and wipe out every Chitauri that made it through!"
"And don't forget, someone better let the Hulk finish pounding Loki. Violence fits him perfectly."
Excitement swelled. For once, hope outweighed dread. Nuclear weapons, too destructive, too merciless, wouldn't be necessary. Victory seemed within reach.
The joy wasn't confined to the live stream. Across the Terra Federation, citizens cheered. Social groups buzzed with messages, some people even buying firecrackers and lanterns as if to celebrate across time and space, rejoicing for a victory yet to come, rooted in the memory of Terra's Earth Age.
Inside the Administration, the expert team watched the broadcast unfold. For the first time, smiles spread across their faces. Feng wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. Despite his sharp tongue and constant contrarian streak, even he didn't want the Earth Age to end in failure, or worse, with the government resorting to nuclear strikes.
The historian Johan chuckled softly. "Once the passage is sealed, the rest becomes much simpler. The Chitauri are nowhere near as terrifying as we first feared."
Tonio nodded, though he added cautiously: "Perhaps not to the Avengers. But to ordinary people? They remain deadly."
Indeed, countless civilians had already fallen. Against the Chitauri, the powerless stood no chance.
A scientific expert interjected: "Loki's scepter functions as a cosmic cube. I can't say if it is distinct or part of the same source, but this is a key detail worth remembering."
The Director agreed. "Yes. These past-life memories give us more than historical truth. They allow us to witness history, to validate our present, and to prepare for threats yet to come."
For the first time, he spoke openly of dangers lying ahead. Until now, his words had been confined to the mysteries of historical faults. The room grew heavy with thought. Johan looked at the Director with a somber expression, sensing the weight in his words.
"The weapons of history," the Director continued, "are the truest weapons we possess, the most valuable tools for the future. To be honest, the Federation is already preparing vast equipment arrays to scan for cosmic cube energy. The Webb Space Telescope is scheduled for launch soon. This marks a turning point for Terra humanity to seek the future by unearthing history."
He glanced around the room. "It may be dangerous. But now, unlike before, our danger has a foundation in history, not mere blind speculation."
Nods of agreement rippled across the experts.
A military industry magnate chuckled. "The Nine Realms, the World Tree, the Chitauri, the Cube… we now know the universe holds far greater beings than we imagined. At least, if they come to Terra, we won't collapse in despair."
But Feng couldn't resist. "If that's the case, then why is the history of the Terra Earth Age still fractured? Why the fault?"
The room stiffened. Faces hardened, eyes turned sharp toward him. It was a question no one wanted raised, yet one impossible to ignore. The Chief silenced him with a glance. There was no answer worth giving now.
"No matter what dangers await," the Director finally said, "I trust the memories of Hundreds of Immortal Warriors will guide us to the answers." With that, he departed for the training grounds, leaving the room in heavy silence.
The battle, however, was far from over.
[ On a Chitauri aircraft, Tony tore a Leviathan apart with brute strength. The ship lurched wildly, nearly colliding with a skyscraper. Suddenly, a massive biomechanical warship emerged, smashing Thor aside with bone-crushing force. ]
[ Bang! Boom! Boom! Explosions echoed as Tony launched himself after it, his Mark 7 suit blazing with thrusters. The wrist lasers fired in rapid bursts, striking the monster's armored shell. ]
[ "Sir," Jarvis reported, "we cannot pierce its plating with full power." ]
[ Tony retracted the emitters and pushed harder, accelerating ahead of the warship. The beast continued tearing the city apart in a frenzy. ]
[ Tony's voice was steady: "Jarvis, ever heard the legend of the Prophet?" ]
[ "Not exactly an ideal role model," Jarvis replied dryly. ]
But Tony was already banking sharply, aligning himself head-on with the monstrous craft. Spectators gasped.
"What is Tony doing? Even in that armor, he's still smaller than the Hulk. Does he plan to take it on alone?"
"No way! His suit isn't even at full strength!"
"Call the Hulk! He's built for this!"
"Tony, don't be reckless!"
"Where's Thor? Did he get swallowed by that thing?"
In the training ground, even the experts found themselves swept into the moment, watching like ordinary fans. Ren Kasey slapped Yan Liu's head in disbelief. "Damn, Tony's insane!"
[ Tony streaked forward, jagged blades snapping into place along his armor's legs. His speed surged to impossible levels. The monstrous warship roared and charged. The screen shook violently as Tony plunged headlong into its gaping maw. ]
[Boom! Crack! Shatter! Like a scarlet arrow, Tony pierced straight through, bursting out from head to tail. The warship's frame ruptured in fire, collapsing into the streets below in a flaming wreck. ]
The livestream chat exploded in triumph.
"Holy sh*t, Tony actually did it!"
"Didn't see that coming!"
"Straight through like an iron spear, beautiful!"
"The inside must be fragile. Still, what guts!"
"Tony yyds! Screenshot saved forever!"
"Already ranked this in my top ten classic moments!"
Debates raged over what device had burst from his armor mid-charge, speculation flying.
"Some kind of enhanced suit stabilizer?" one guessed. "Otherwise, the Mark 7 wouldn't have survived the impact."
Inside Norland Base, Guerino leaned forward, brow furrowed. "This is no mere energy upgrade. The Mark 7 has functions we still don't understand."
His colleague muttered, "Wasn't Essen Heavy Industry Group responsible? Their chief engineer, Astor, handled the suit design."
Guerino blinked in disbelief. "Astor? Him? If that's true… then we're chasing ghosts."
His skepticism was obvious. Astor's reputation hardly inspired confidence.